Keep It Professional Daicos

Chapter One - A New Beginning in Old Territory

        Australian Autum's are the worst, it's like living in the dessert without all the weird and creepy animals. But even then, in Australia, there are weird and creepy animals everywhere. The days would grow progressively hotter, with the sun beating down on the back of your neck giving you the worst sunburn. Unless you were constantly reapplying sunscreen you were cooked. The nights were worse, with it either being unbearably cold or incredibly humid, making you wake up drenched in sweat. None the less, I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world, except New Zealand because it's gorgeous, but that is beside the point. Australia was my home and I love living in the city of Melbourne. Even at 5.30 am in the morning the city was busier than ever, people moving from their night shifts to the train station or bus stops to go home. The night's light switched over to the daytime lights, and the day works moved into the city. The city center was full of life with cafes opening and shopping preparing for the pre-work rush of people and all the way out in the suburb's lights began to flicker on inside houses. People starting their days and making their way to work.

        My car was slowly warming up as I passed the dormant Melbourne houses on my way to work, the closer we got to winter, the colder it was getting, the earlier I was waking up and it being pitch black and the closer the season came to starting.

        Today would be an exciting day, it would be the first training where the full team would be on the ground, with all players and coaches showing up for the start of a new season. It would be a different season for Collingwood Football Club, with almost a completely new team of coaches and numerous fresh players to spice up the season. Dad had already left the house for a meeting with Craig about the plan for today's training and had been in meeting for the last two months around the season plan and what to expect. Craig was the new coach signed to Collingwood at the start of the off season and already he was growing on me letting me have the first 3 weeks of per season training to enjoy my holiday and giving me an official job at the club instead of me volunteering my work with no pay.

        For the last five years I had been helping my dad out with his coaching for other clubs and it was fun, but I never got paid. When Craig was signed to Collingwood, he had hired a fully new team of coaches for the club which included my dad and me. To say I was excited when I found out would be an understatement. I would finally be getting recognition for all the work I did, and it would be for my favorite team, Collingwood.

        The drive from home to the club training grounds was short and, in all honesty, I could have walked there. But it was my first training and I wanted to have a quick escape home after, to have a shower. The club grounds were big and incredibly well kept, I had already been there at the start of pre-season for a coach's tour and debrief so I knew where I was going. As I pulled up to the club car park, I saw that many of the car parks were already taken. Good thing I was a coach. The best part about being a coach was we got out own car parks, so a full car park is no problem for me. There were serval spots still vacant but there was only one opened right next to the club room and it had my name on it. I pull in the turn of the car, waiting a second to prepare myself for the cold. Opening the door slowly I step out and walk to the back of the boot opening it up the pull out my gear for training. I stop to think for a moment. 'Well Kate, todays the day, your first day as Collingwood's youngest female coach. It'll be fine, right?

        Today was the day I would be coaching; I didn't care that I would be the only female coach on the team or that I would be the youngest coach. It didn't phase me because I had my dad there, and the coaching team already knew my really well after all our meeting. As I pulled out the last of my gear, a car pulled up and parked. Three boys jumped out, all a similar height, but you could see the difference between them. One had bleach blond hair which hurt to look at and was cut short, and he the shortest out of the three. The second boy out of the car looked significantly older, with a beard and hair which stretched down his neck. Then the driver hopped out of the car. He was the tallest with a tight cut mullet and dark hair. I closed the boot of the car locking it and slipped my keys into my puffer jacket inner pocket when I heard one of the boys shout out to me.

         "Oui, Blondy", the shorter blond guys called out to me, to be honest he wasn't that short probably the same height as me, but he seemed short from this side of the car park. I slowly turn to face the boys. "You know this is a closed practice and you're in a coach's park," I look at him with a blank expression. He doesn't notice and continues to mansplain to me, "Yeah girl you shouldn't be here". Suddenly the other two boys are by his side talking.

        "Come on Ginni, leave the girl alone," the boy with longish hair said. "For all we know she could be a coach". Laughter erupts from behind and the tallest of the three emerges.

        "Right, and dad couldn't kick a goal, we would have seen her if she was a coach, and she wouldn't be here so late. Go back to bed fan girl." The final boy said before him and the blondie walking into the club rooms. I laugh to myself; I didn't know who they were at first but once they step close, I instantly knew. The blond one was Jack Ginnivan, the renegade country kid, and the tall one was Nick Daicos, the supposed new star player of the team. And the boy still next to me was Nicks older and smarter brother, Josh.

        "So, should I tell him you're a coach or do you want to embarrass him yourself," Josh said, as we both looked toward where the boys had disappeared.

        "Embarrass him, definitely," I said, chuckling to myself as Josh laughed, walking towards the lockers.

        Josh and I had met before, when I was getting to know the coaches, and he was there with his dad. We had talked, and he was a really chill guy. We had exchanged numbers, and had been in contact over the last three weeks of training. We had discussed me pulling a prank of the new players, and it looked like I was about to happen. 'I almost feel bad for the kid,' I thought, as I headed to the coach's room to get ready for training.

**Quick editor's note, hi. Just wanted to say hey, and thanks for following the story. My best friend, who is writing this, is incredibly talented, even if she needs a bit of help with spelling, grammar and writing from time to time. Here is a link to a song to listen to while reading, please enjoy! - 

A/N:

Hi read,

I hoped you likes the first chapter, comment ideas if you have any, I will be sure to put them into consideration and place vote on the story.It really helps to know what you guys like and want to see.

Stay safe and have a good week!

Editors Note (E/N)

hi. Just wanted to say hey, and thanks for following the story. My best friend, who is writing this, is incredibly talented, even if she needs a bit of help with spelling, grammar and writing from time to time. Here is a link to a song to listen to while reading, please enjoy!  

https://youtu.be/ycYpie31L0g?si=YK94H8Gg7qqrNLqw